The King's Ruby...

The aging king is at Death's door. But, alas, he has no heir to follow in his noble steps. He decides a test will ensure that only the wisest subject in his kingdom will take the throne after his eventual passing. The test is simple: he places a 100 carat ruby in a golden chalice in the center of a 20 foot by 20 foot tapestry. The next ruler and successor to the throne must grasp the ruby from the chalice with his bare hand without suspending from the ceiling or stepping on the tapestry. Three days pass as nobleman after nobleman fails miserably to retrieve the ruby from its golden perch. On the fourth day, as the kingdom nobility looked on in shock and bewilderment, a sole young peasant boy grasped the ruby from the shimmering chalice without so much as his shadow gracing the tapestry. Their new king was chosen. How did he do it?

Hint

Answer

The noblemen looked on in amazement as the peasant, starting from one end of the long stretch of tapestry, slowly and neatly rolled the fabric until eventually, sitting just inches away, his bare hand grasped the fiery ruby and the boy became king!Hide

Comments

You said "without as mush as his shadow gracing the tapestry" which is very misleading. When the boy went to grab the ruby his arm must have passed over the tapestry. This would cast a shadow. I assume we are using "normal" lighting.

Couldn't do the pole thing...had to grasp the ruby from the chalice with his hand.

(user deleted)Jul 29, 2002

no steppin on the tapestry, eh? I took that to mean no touching it... well then if he could roll the bleedin thing up he could just as jolly well walk on his hands to the middle, pick the ruby up, put it in his mouth or something. Or he could get a long pole with a hook and carefully hook the chalice and draw it over to him.

There are many ways:
1) tug the tapestry from under the chalice (real fast, so chalice doesnt move)
2) walk on stilts
3) stretch a pole across and dangle down
4) burn the tapestry
5) fill the room with water and swim
6) topple the chalice over with a stick and roll it to you
7) toss something at the chalice until it is close to an edge get a piggy-back from someone else
9) lift tapestry to roll chalice to edge.
10) crawl to chalice
11) walk on your hands to the chalice
(I can probably think of a dozen more)

All of these are novel and interesting answers that will satisfy the requirements of the king as indicated.

I happen to think filling the room with water and swimming over or burning the tapestry are the more novel approaches, while folding/rolling it are rather boring solutions. What a let-down to see the roll solution!

U sed he couldn't STEP on the tapestry and HIS shadow could wotever on the tapestry. well couldn't he wheel himself in a little cart over the tapestry and grab the ruby wiv his bare hand. Then there would be no infringement of the rules. Sorry to ruin your teaser. from JoJoCranky

Can't believe how unwitty is the solution. Like silkyworm suggested, might as well set the solution as pouring petrol on the tapestry and set it ablaze. After the tapestry is burn to ashes, blow away all the bits and do what the hell you want with the chalice and the ruby!!!